Page:Oregon Geographic Names, third edition.djvu/60

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a sand bar closing its mouth, yet his other observations indicate without much doubt that he had found Tillamook Bay. During the same year Captain John Kendrick and Captain Robert Gray brought the first American fur trading enterprise to the north Pacific Coast in the Columbia Rediviva and the Lady Washington. Robert Haswell, second mate of the Lady Washington, kept a diary, but notwithstanding the latitudes and landmarks mentioned along the Oregon coast, it is impossible to trace the course of the vessel with accuracy. Bancroft, in his History of the Northwest Coast, volume I, page 188, indicates some of the difficulties in interpreting the writing. It is possible that Alsea Bay or Yaquina Bay was seen by the ship. On August 12, 1788, the Lady Washington anchored off Tillamook Bay. On August 14 the ship crossed the bar, and at first the Americans had no trouble with the natives but on August 16, the Indians made a murderous assault and killed a member of the crew. Two days later the ship got away, and in his diary Haswell makes the following observation: "Murderers Harbour, for so it was named, is I suppose the entrance of the river of the West it is by no means a safe place for aney but a very small vessell to enter the shoal at its entrance being so aucwardly situated the passage so narrow and the tide so strong it is scarce possible to avoid the dangers." Data on other bays in Oregon will be found under their respective headings. B. C. CREEK, Wallowa County. This stream is near the south end of Wallowa Lake and drains B. C. Basin. It bears the initials of Breeden and Camp, who located some silver claims in the basin about 1905.

BEAGLE, Jackson County. Beagle was named for William Beagle, an early settler and one-time postmaster. The community is a few miles north of Upper Table Rock and west of Rogue River.

BEAGLE CREEK, Union County. Beagle Creek near Medical Springs, bears the name of one Beagle who kept a little inn on the stream in 1864, on the pack trail between Columbia River and the Boise mines. Oliver H. P. Beagle came to Oregon in 1843 when he was eleven years old and had many stirring adventures, some of which are described in an article by Fred Lockley in the Oregon Journal for July 13, 1927. He operated a pack train in northeast Oregon in the '60s and he and his wife lived there for a time. Beagle Creek was probably named for him.

BEAR CREEK, Jackson County. This is an important tributary of Rogue River, draining the valley in which Medford and Ashland are situated. It was for some years known as Stuart Creek, but is now called by a name of little significance. Stuart Creek, and Camp Stuart, a pioneer military establishment, were named by then Captain George B. McClellan, for his brother officer Captain James Stuart, who died June 18, 1851, not far from the stream. Stuart was wounded the day before near Rogue River while leading a charge against a band of hostile Indians. For additional data, see under CAMP STUART. For story about the origin of the name Bear for this creek, see the Oregonian, November 9, 1913. Bear Creek flows through Medford, and that city was named for the middle ford of the stream.

BEAR CREEK, Wallowa County. This important tributary of Wallowa River heads in the Wallowa Mountains in township 3 south, range 43 east, and flows into the Wallowa just west of the town of Wallowa. The name, Bear Creek, for this stream has been adopted by the USBGN. The principal tributary of Bear Creek is Little Bear Creek, flowing in Rist, and no creo